One Step Behind
by C.C. Lyn
Summary: The anime never showed this, but before Kazemaru joined Dark Emperors, he had a little talk with an old friend. Written in Miyasaka's POV. One-Shot. My first Fanfiction! Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven


Miyasaka's POV 

When I first heard that he was working for Aliea Academy and is the captain of Dark Emperors, I couldn't believe it until he told me. Nobody else was there that day when he pulled me into the empty track club room. Not even Hayami, who always at least stayed for twenty more minutes to practice by himself. After all, it was two hours after practice had already ended. But you had called me on your phone saying to wait for you there and make sure that no one else knew. It was a voicemail, probably left when I was outside on the track.

"Miyasaka-kun, wait for me in the track room. I have something to tell you. Make sure no one else is there.

That was all you said, but I had faith that it was something important you had to tell me. I will always trust you and you will always be our captain, no matter who holds the spot now. Not even Hayami who can run almost your speed after months of grueling practice and determination because he wanted to be worthy of captain and matched with you. We all do. We all want to run with you again. We all endured those practices led by our new captain without complaint, hoping that maybe if we catch up to you, then we would be good enough to run alongside you and that you would return back to us.

But why aren't you here yet? The clock read 6:30. It was getting late and I didn't want my parents to worry why I wasn't home for dinner. But it was so long since I last saw you, and I was not going to give up this chance. Hurry up and get here already...

As I sat at a chair waiting for you, a shadow blocked the sun streaming in from the entrance. I looked up and saw a boy with slightly crinkled teal hair that was let down over his shoulders. His bangs blocked one of his eyes, and you could see that the other one was brown. Was this possible that this was… you? You had always tied your hair up in a ponytail and your eyes had never looked so cold before. The boy before me smiled a little. "Miyasaka-kun, you haven't changed," he said as his voice drifted away.

There was no doubt this was you. You may not look like the boy I know, but your smile and the flicker in your eyes told me the truth.

You walked in and sat on the chair opposite of mine at the small, fold-out table. Then you smiled a little again, but this time it looked like regret. Your eyes averted my stare and looked down at the table. There was a period of silence that passed over us, with me looking at you and you deep in your thought, not looking me in the eye. Finally you broke the silence, but kept your brown eyes on the table.

"I am going to use the aliea meteorite to destroy Endou and the rest of Raimon."

I was shocked when you said those words. "Didn't you quit the track team so that you could play soccer with Endou? Why are you trying to destroy those things now?" I finally sputtered.

You smiled again and finally looked up at me. "I'm not strong enough. I can never catch up to Endou, Gouenji, Kidou, and the rest of them."

Wasn't that left-behind feeling the feeling that I have had all this time? Why was he quitting when me, Hayami, and the rest of the track team are still trying to catch up to him? Was the captain we all had admired just a mirage, a vision of perfection?

You looked at my stunned expression, and pulled out a necklace under your shirt. "This is the aliea meteorite. With this, I can become stronger." The purple gem shone bright and called out to you, but it was swirling with evil. Even though it had the promise of power, the thing was truly hideous if you saw its true colors. When I squeezed my eyes shut and fought away the greed trying to take over me, I saw what lay beneath. But I don't think you did. You were fascinated looking at it, your eyes widening and lips curling into a greedy grin. I never knew you were the type to be lured so easily.

Don't you remember? For years, we had ran alongside each other, you in front, as fast as the wind, and next to you but a step slower was Hayami, our determined new leader, then finally me, trying desperately to catch up to you both. The three of us had always been best friends. But we had always been closer because we had been childhood playmates while you first met Hayami when he was the only one who could catch up to you during track practice. You two were rivals, always battling each other, but you would always win while he kept trying to work harder to match your speed. But I was behind you both no matter how fast I ran. Maybe that was why you left.

You got up and walked out the door, only pausing right outside the doorway to wave to me, your let-down hair fluttering in the breeze. But like a ghost, I could see the ponytail and smile of the original Kazemaru.

"Sayounara, Miyasaka-kun."


End file.
